Simon Lord Of The Flies Character Analysis
Is Simon an important character or not? Write about his contribution to the novel and the methods Golding uses to show what Simon is like.
Golding uses many descriptions throughout the novel to tell us more about his characters. Simon, by the point of his death is shown to be an almost angelic figure. This essay will examine whether Simon can be said to be significant or not, and why Golding has created his character.
Simon starts the novel as a tiny weakling, who faints in the sun at the start of the novel. Jack says: ‘he’s always throwing a faint’. His rude language is typical of Jack, and Simon does appear to be deeply affected by things around him. However, later we see a different, stronger side of Simon. When everyone else runs off to bathe or play he stays behind to help Ralph with the shelters, and then afterwards picks fruit for the littleuns to eat, as it says in the quotation: “Simon …show more content…
found for them the fruit they could not reach”. This builds Simon up as an angelic and selfless figure, which is reflected in the paragraphs about his death, as he is taken out to see by “a silver a silver shape between the steadfast constellations.’ Simon is surrounded by a halo of fireflies, signifying his holiness and purity in comparison to everyone else on the island. If we compare this event to when Piggy dies, for example, it has an end that makes him appear more like a pig than ever before ‘Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig’s after it had been killed.’ Unlike Simon’s death, Piggy’s death is presented in a far more negative way. This shows how Golding wanted to use Piggy’s death to contrast them, and show how Simon was the last bit of goodness left on the island.
Simon is truly important because when he dies, the last good symbol leaves the island. “Somewhere over the darkened curve of the world the sun and moon were pulling”. This quotation shows the struggle of good and evil on the island. Golding uses Simon as a symbol of the loss of loss of innocence. Of them all, Simon was the purest. He never hunted, and was quite naïve about power and how it was being fought over on the island. ‘You’re chief, you tell them off.’ He never quite understood why everyone fought for power. The fact that he is now dead and being gently carried away by the sea surrounded by light shows us that this is the point in the novel when the boys lose their innocence by killing Simon. He shows that the ones in the world who do not understand man’s lust for power and try to prevent it, and also try to educate other men on the futility of war and conflict, are turned on and killed.
Simon felt the need to educate the boys about the airman, and how there was no beast after all. ‘The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible.’ However, he was killed by the boys, not understanding what he was trying to tell them. Golding could also be using this paragraph to show the triumph of evil and dystopia on the island at this point. The Lord Of The Flies threatens Simon and tells him that ‘So don’t try it on my poor misguided boy, or else’ and also mentions that ‘we shall do you. See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph.’ By fulfilling this prophecy Simon has illustrated the triumph of evil on the island. The Lord Of The Flies now has complete control over the boys. The beast has taken them over. These three paragraphs symbolise the whole of the novel. The surrendering of man to inherent evil and savagery and the destruction of purity and innocence. The sea could represent comfort for the boys, washing away their destruction and honouring Simon as pure and angelic. Therefore Simon is truly important: he is the only good on the island. When he is destroyed, evil will reign.
Golding spends the book talking in contrasts. This is one of the only paragraphs with no contrasts; this paragraph paints the whole scene in a positive, almost sacred way. At this point in the book the island becomes a utopia just for a second, while Simon’s body is taken away by the sea and the fireflies. Golding uses sibilance in the paragraphs ‘itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon’s dead body moved out towards the open sea.’ Golding uses sibilance in this paragraph to emphasise how smooth and sacred the whole scene is. To show that this is a peaceful end to Simon, in contrast with the violent death he had just before. He uses Simon’s death and his leaving the island for good as a metaphor for innocence and charity. By his moving away, it is a metaphor for the evil on the island driving him away. He also uses personification to make the sea seem as if it is comforting Simon ‘The water rose further and dressed Simon’s course hair with brightness.’ This makes it seem as if Simon is being washed and dressed and taken home, away from the island, and makes us have sympathy for him.
OTHER NOTES:
Golding creates all his character to help him portray his idea of human nature and the character of Simon is no exception to this. Although a minor character he is still crucial in William Goldingsâ story of âLord of The Fliesâ. Simon is used to represent the truth to human nature and to act as extrasensory character into human natures raw state and some even say the character Simon portrays many characteristics similar to those demonstrated by Jesus Christ.
Simon first appears in the first chapter as the âchoir boy who had faintedâ and Golding has presented him like this to illustrate to the reader that Simon is very different from the other boys in the novel. He has a physical frailty, which allows the reader to understand from the offset that Simon is not going to be able to go along with the other boys in the activities, so already the reader gets a sense that Simon is quite a solitary character, which is something that becomes clearer later on. Simon faints due to the heat of the island and by having
Roger
Character Analysis
Roger is totally that kid on the playground who used to torture ants with a magnifying glass. He's bad news going all the way back to when we first meet him, a "slight" and "furtive" boy with "an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy" who "mutters" (1). Let's just say, you do notwant to be stuck on a deserted island with Roger, because this guy is sadistic, plain and simple.
While Jack wants power because he likes the thought of being in charge, Roger wants power because he likes the idea of hurting others.
Even before things have started to go too wrong, we can tell. He and his buddy Maurice destroy the littluns' sandcastles for no reason at all, "kicking them over, burying the flowers, scattering the chosen stones. Maurice followed, laughing, and added to the destruction" (4.7-8). This goes way beyond not helping the kids pick fruit to straight up psycho behavior.
Roger doesn't become a murderous psychopath all at once. At first, he's held back by the "taboo of the old life" (4.14). While he throws rocks in little Henry's general direction, he doesn't actually throw themat the kid: "round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law" (4.14). For now. By the end, Roger has given in. He's the one who, with "delirious abandonment," drops the rock that kills Piggy.
Not convinced that Roger is bad news? Sam and Eric hint at unspeakable—literally—horrors, when they say: of Sam and Eric's
exchange:
"You don't know Roger. He's a terror."
"And the chief—they're both—"
"—terrors—"
"—only Roger—" (11)
Only Roger what? We don't know, and we're not sure we want to. Is Golding saying that even beasts come in degrees—that some people are worse than others, even if we're all savages? Or is he saying the opposite? Could it be that Roger is actually the most human of them all?
Golding uses many descriptions throughout the novel to tell us more about his characters. Simon, by the point of his death is shown to be an almost angelic figure. This essay will examine whether Simon can be said to be significant or not, and why Golding has created his character.
Simon starts the novel as a tiny weakling, who faints in the sun at the start of the novel. Jack says: ‘he’s always throwing a faint’. His rude language is typical of Jack, and Simon does appear to be deeply affected by things around him. However, later we see a different, stronger side of Simon. When everyone else runs off to bathe or play he stays behind to help Ralph with the shelters, and then afterwards picks fruit for the littleuns to eat, as it says in the quotation: “Simon …show more content…
found for them the fruit they could not reach”. This builds Simon up as an angelic and selfless figure, which is reflected in the paragraphs about his death, as he is taken out to see by “a silver a silver shape between the steadfast constellations.’ Simon is surrounded by a halo of fireflies, signifying his holiness and purity in comparison to everyone else on the island. If we compare this event to when Piggy dies, for example, it has an end that makes him appear more like a pig than ever before ‘Piggy’s arms and legs twitched a bit, like a pig’s after it had been killed.’ Unlike Simon’s death, Piggy’s death is presented in a far more negative way. This shows how Golding wanted to use Piggy’s death to contrast them, and show how Simon was the last bit of goodness left on the island.
Simon is truly important because when he dies, the last good symbol leaves the island. “Somewhere over the darkened curve of the world the sun and moon were pulling”. This quotation shows the struggle of good and evil on the island. Golding uses Simon as a symbol of the loss of loss of innocence. Of them all, Simon was the purest. He never hunted, and was quite naïve about power and how it was being fought over on the island. ‘You’re chief, you tell them off.’ He never quite understood why everyone fought for power. The fact that he is now dead and being gently carried away by the sea surrounded by light shows us that this is the point in the novel when the boys lose their innocence by killing Simon. He shows that the ones in the world who do not understand man’s lust for power and try to prevent it, and also try to educate other men on the futility of war and conflict, are turned on and killed.
Simon felt the need to educate the boys about the airman, and how there was no beast after all. ‘The beast was harmless and horrible; and the news must reach the others as soon as possible.’ However, he was killed by the boys, not understanding what he was trying to tell them. Golding could also be using this paragraph to show the triumph of evil and dystopia on the island at this point. The Lord Of The Flies threatens Simon and tells him that ‘So don’t try it on my poor misguided boy, or else’ and also mentions that ‘we shall do you. See? Jack and Roger and Maurice and Robert and Bill and Piggy and Ralph.’ By fulfilling this prophecy Simon has illustrated the triumph of evil on the island. The Lord Of The Flies now has complete control over the boys. The beast has taken them over. These three paragraphs symbolise the whole of the novel. The surrendering of man to inherent evil and savagery and the destruction of purity and innocence. The sea could represent comfort for the boys, washing away their destruction and honouring Simon as pure and angelic. Therefore Simon is truly important: he is the only good on the island. When he is destroyed, evil will reign.
Golding spends the book talking in contrasts. This is one of the only paragraphs with no contrasts; this paragraph paints the whole scene in a positive, almost sacred way. At this point in the book the island becomes a utopia just for a second, while Simon’s body is taken away by the sea and the fireflies. Golding uses sibilance in the paragraphs ‘itself a silver shape beneath the steadfast constellations, Simon’s dead body moved out towards the open sea.’ Golding uses sibilance in this paragraph to emphasise how smooth and sacred the whole scene is. To show that this is a peaceful end to Simon, in contrast with the violent death he had just before. He uses Simon’s death and his leaving the island for good as a metaphor for innocence and charity. By his moving away, it is a metaphor for the evil on the island driving him away. He also uses personification to make the sea seem as if it is comforting Simon ‘The water rose further and dressed Simon’s course hair with brightness.’ This makes it seem as if Simon is being washed and dressed and taken home, away from the island, and makes us have sympathy for him.
OTHER NOTES:
Golding creates all his character to help him portray his idea of human nature and the character of Simon is no exception to this. Although a minor character he is still crucial in William Goldingsâ story of âLord of The Fliesâ. Simon is used to represent the truth to human nature and to act as extrasensory character into human natures raw state and some even say the character Simon portrays many characteristics similar to those demonstrated by Jesus Christ.
Simon first appears in the first chapter as the âchoir boy who had faintedâ and Golding has presented him like this to illustrate to the reader that Simon is very different from the other boys in the novel. He has a physical frailty, which allows the reader to understand from the offset that Simon is not going to be able to go along with the other boys in the activities, so already the reader gets a sense that Simon is quite a solitary character, which is something that becomes clearer later on. Simon faints due to the heat of the island and by having
Roger
Character Analysis
Roger is totally that kid on the playground who used to torture ants with a magnifying glass. He's bad news going all the way back to when we first meet him, a "slight" and "furtive" boy with "an inner intensity of avoidance and secrecy" who "mutters" (1). Let's just say, you do notwant to be stuck on a deserted island with Roger, because this guy is sadistic, plain and simple.
While Jack wants power because he likes the thought of being in charge, Roger wants power because he likes the idea of hurting others.
Even before things have started to go too wrong, we can tell. He and his buddy Maurice destroy the littluns' sandcastles for no reason at all, "kicking them over, burying the flowers, scattering the chosen stones. Maurice followed, laughing, and added to the destruction" (4.7-8). This goes way beyond not helping the kids pick fruit to straight up psycho behavior.
Roger doesn't become a murderous psychopath all at once. At first, he's held back by the "taboo of the old life" (4.14). While he throws rocks in little Henry's general direction, he doesn't actually throw themat the kid: "round the squatting child was the protection of parents and school and policemen and the law" (4.14). For now. By the end, Roger has given in. He's the one who, with "delirious abandonment," drops the rock that kills Piggy.
Not convinced that Roger is bad news? Sam and Eric hint at unspeakable—literally—horrors, when they say: of Sam and Eric's
exchange:
"You don't know Roger. He's a terror."
"And the chief—they're both—"
"—terrors—"
"—only Roger—" (11)
Only Roger what? We don't know, and we're not sure we want to. Is Golding saying that even beasts come in degrees—that some people are worse than others, even if we're all savages? Or is he saying the opposite? Could it be that Roger is actually the most human of them all?